Kismet
by Delirious Rose
Summary: "I was twelve when I had to take care of my brother. And now that I have to take care of this country, I will be forever twelve."  A story about Emeraude and how she became the Pillar.
1. Prologue

It's a long time since I started a new story in English, and even longer since I started a new MKR one. So I apologize in advance for my oh-so-rusty English (I've tried my best, considering I have a little baby who has fun playing with the keyboard and turning off the PC every now and then).

Concerning this story, it's about the time before Emeraude became the Pillar. And it won't be a fairy tale.

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

The sand was wet under their shoes and the receding tide had left pools of water where crabs went into hidding. The wind coming from the sea smelled of iodine and seaweed and the woman's gown swelled like a galley's sails. "Emeraude, do not go too far, you know it's dangerous!"  
>The girl turned around laughing, her blond curls billowed like a golden halo. "I'm very, very careful!" she said, skipping in a puddle.<br>The woman rolled her eyes and glared at the man who walked beside him. "I suppose that it was you, Fiero, to encourage our daughter to behave in such a... unproper manner."  
>The man dandled the baby in his arms. "The capital is far away, my dear Azure: in Austina we don't need that boring court ceremonial."<br>Princess Azure sighed, after all her husband was right: Austina was just one of Cephiro's smaller counties, not rich enough to attract the court's attention and too far from the capital to suffer its influence. Nearly ten years had passed since she, one of the Royal Princesses and King Gallardo's younger sister, had been joined with Fiero Xepphirine of Austina, an aristocrat unable to live at court and who wasn't concerned neither with the intrigues of palace nor with favors. One could think that the king had given Azure's hand more for desperation than for the need of a new ally: at the time, the princess was getting too old to have suitors. Azure stared for a long time at her daughter, who was running in front of them, as if she wanted to catch the gulls: the early years she had spent in Austina were difficult, not only because she had to get accustomed to a more frugal lifestyle, but also because of that the feeling of betrayal and the missing of her loved one (and sometime she thought that Gallardo had sent her to Austina to avoid a scandal), but then Emeraude was born and she had learned to appreciate Prince Fiero's merits.  
>"The tide is rising," the man muttered, frowning as he watched the horizon. "Emi-hime, come here: it's time to get back home!"<br>With a pirouette, Emeraude turned toward her parents, ran to meet them with a joyous smile and reddened cheeks: she held lovingly the knees of her mother, who bent over her to fix the girl's dress and grabbed her hand, then all the four of them walked towards the mountain overlooking the bay with its castle. The wind began to get a little more violent and gray clouds began to gather in the sky: a storm was almost normal, since the Pillar couldn't fully control the weather while ensuring peace and prosperity Cephiro. It wasn't a secret that Her Excellency Ginko was seriously ill – she was already sick when she became the Pillar.  
>"There's someone coming from the capital," Fiero murmured, holding with a protective gesture his son.<br>It was a royal messenger, carring the flag at half mast and edged in purple did not bode well: once reach the couple, the man bowed low in front of Azure.  
>"Your Royal Highness, it is with great sadness that ..." With a gesture, the princess silenced him. Azure glanced at her husband, who nodded and took Emeraude's hand: the girl said nothing, she just looked curiously at her mother and the messenger.<br>"I do not like receiving bad news in the presence of my children," Emeraude heard, walking beside her father and when they passed through the gate, she turned back toward her mother and saw her bow her head.  
>Only the next morning she learned that her uncle, King Gallardo, was dead and that she would be leaving for the capital that same day.<p> 


	2. Ch 1  The Infanta and the Servant

... and since hubby had to take my pc for working, I'm not sure about misspelling and typos :S

Just keep in mind that:  
>1. English is not my first language<br>2. and that this is not a fairy tale

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><p><strong>1. Dialogues between the Infanta and the Servant<strong>

Emeraude snorted, looking angrily at her reflection: the dress that her nanny had forced her to wear, between tantrums and screams, was simply ugly. First there was the colour, a purple so dark that it looked black (and she liked white dresses, so easy to smudge with sand and mud), and then it was oh so uncomfortable that she could barely walking as fast as a snail (and for a little girl who was like sea water, always in motion, it was a real torture). Of course, she knew that her uncle, the king, was dead and that she couldn't play with her cousin Payze as much as she liked, however she didn't understand why _she_ had to wear such a dress if she wasn't supposed to attend the funeral.

_"You're a royal princess, Emeraude, even if we do not live in Adamantia," said Princess Azure with a stern look, "and this mere fact gives you duties: so stop acting up, you put that dress on and then keep Prince Teijo of Fahren company."  
><em>_"Azure, I hope that this idea of yours doesn't__have a hidden purpose__ ..." he hissed Fiero, looking askance at the woman.__  
>"You have a strange idea about the reason of State: you have always been opposed to my brother's intention to strengthen the alliance between Cephiro and Fahren."<br>"With all due respect to the dead, your brother could finish all the alliances he wanted, but he had no right to barter the happiness of_ _my daughter with a piece of paper!"  
>"Did you say<em> barter_? Gallardo had offered to _my daughter_ Fahren's throne and you, with your absurd ideas, have always created problems! Fortunately, the Emperor thinks exactly like Gallardo and is not too late to arrange this ... _marriage_, as they call it in Fahren. "  
>"Emeraude is still a child, she's not even nine."<br>"The better, she would have more time to learn court etiquette and to appreciate Prince Teijo. Emeraude, I want you to spend as much time as possible with Fahren's Prince and to behave as befits a future empress," concluded Azure with an authoritative tone, before going in her rooms.  
>Fiero followed the woman with his eyes and, after he told the nanny to take care of Ferio, he knelt in front of his daughter, their eyes at the same level. "Pay no attention to what Mama says, Emi-hime: you don't have to play with Teijo if you don't want to and, especially, if you don't like him. But that doesn't mean you can make fun of him, understood?" The girl nodded vigorously, but then looked at her father's expression, which had gotten suddenly serious and thoughtful. "Emi-hime, there's something else ..."<br>"I know that I have to behave, because uncle is dead and everyone is sad."  
>Fiero smiled and ruffled her blond curls. "I know that when you want you can be a really good girl, but I was thinking about something else. Listen carefully, Emeraude: for <em>no reason_ you have to be alone with uncle Alfgang and, if by chance this happens, you must immediately find Chota. Do you promise? "  
>Emeraude frowned. "Why don't you want me to be alone with uncle? He's kind and always has some of my favourite candies for me."<br>Fiero tightened his lips. "They say that... that Alfgang loves a lot children, especially pretty little girls like you are: in these days everyone has their head a bit elsewhere and I wouldn't want that ... Emi-hime, promise me and when we go back home we'll go fishing! "  
>"It's a pinkie promise and<em>_ swear!" __replied the girl solemnly, offering her pinkie finger to her father._

"But if Uncle Alfgang likes so much pretty girls like me, why doesn't Papa want me to be alone with him?"  
>"You said something, Princess?" her nanny asked, moving Ferio on her other arm.<br>"Nothing, Chota, I was just thinking aloud. Oh Velie is here too!" she exclaimed, running for a few steps and then walking normally.  
>Velie was Cephiro's Crown Prince on his mother side: she was one year older than Emeraude, with brown hair tied in a long braid and olive complexion. Emeraude loved her, since she was a very fun and cheerful little girl with whom it was easy to get along: of course, you could count on your fingertips the times they were together, since Emeraude was rarely at the palace and Velie had a long way between Chizeta -her native country- and Cephiro . When she saw her, Velie ran to Emeraude, despite her own nanny's ready reproaches, and involved the other girl involved in a little ring-a-ring-a-roses.<br>"Emi-hime, as I promised you last time, I brought you a doll!" Velie said, producing a packet from a bag. "Look, I asked it to be made as you wanted, and it has clothes just like Aunt Supra's one that you like so much."  
>Emeraude took the packet and began to jump like a grasshopper, but a glare from Chota froze her. "Oops, I promised that I would behave because we are <em>in mourning<em>, as Mama said," she wispered,more to herself than to the other girl, then she sat on the the fountain's edge and unwrapped the gift. "Thank you so much, Velie! When you come to visit me in Austina I'll show you all my dolls and then we're going to play in the bay ... wow! It's won-der-ful!"  
>"And look, it can even close its eyes and the legs bend, so that it can sit," explained Velie proudly.<br>"There's no need to be so loud, Your Highness," the nanny scolded her, "in Cephiro they don't use to celebrate when someone dies."  
>Velie shrugged. "Why? They're not happy when someone goes in the Blessed Fields, where you can always party and eat all the sweets you want without getting stomach ache?"<br>"What are you saying! When a person dies, his spirit flies away and the worms eat the face, the hands, the belly, the feet ... well, even if they stink," rep^lied Emeraude, "and everybody is sad because that person is gone and if his soul doesn't go There, he becomes a ghost."  
>"No no, ghosts are the bad people who the Guardians don't let into the Blessed Fields."<br>"Princess Velie, if you had studied the habits and customs of other countries, you would be aware of these differences between Cephiro and Chizeta!" the nanny scolded her again, and added, nodding to a coming group of people. "And I hope you won't show such ignorance in front of the Crown Prince of Fahren!"  
>Velie rolled her eyes and then nudged Emeraude, smiling mischievously. "Aunt Supra said that you will marry Prince Teijo ..."<br>The girl shrugged her shoulder, glancing furtively at the boy who was advancing toward them. "Mama said the same, but she didn't explained what that means ..."  
>"Don't you know?" Velie's hazel eyes widened, and then laughed. "It means that you will live in his castle, give lots and lots of kisses to each other, bathe together and then have lots of children!"<br>"What? That's disgusting!" Emeraude said looking disgusted and trying pushing away Velie, whom had jumped smacking on the younger girl: at the end, the their respective nannies had to separate them.  
>Emeraude and Velie fixed their clothes, one with an outraged expression and the other trying not to laugh and elbowing the first. The nannies cleared their throat, looking askance at them: the two girls glanced at each other, nodded to eachother and bowed to the young prince. Teijo of Fahren looked at the two girls with the haughty air of someone who wants to feel already grown up: Emeraude couldn't say whether she liked him or not, he seemed a bit nasty, however she knew that sometimes the first impression is wrong. Remembering her parents' recommendations ( be kind to him and, above all, no teasing), the Austina Princess made another deep bow and repeated the line her mother had made her learn to heart.<br>"Prince Payze, my cousin, can not, under the circumstances, fulfil his duties as a host and asked me, Emeraude Xepphirine Austina, to act in his stead."  
>Teijo looked down at her, did the same with Velie and glanced at Ferio, who was sitting on the lawn pulling tufts of grass and eating. "Two girls and a baby: what a bore," he muttered to himself.<br>Velie snorted, crossing her arms. "You don't have to play with us: Emi-hime, Ferio and I will have fun in spite of you." And stuck her tongue at him.  
>"Velie, of course with a boy we cannot play with dolls, but we girld certainly do not play the warriors" Emeraude admitted, "however there are a lot of other games we can do! I don't know, like dodgeball, hide and tag ... "<br>"Hide and tag is fine with me, but I won't be _it_," allowed Teijo, nodding.  
>"It's not you who decides, mister I-m-all-grown-up-but-still-a-child!"<p>

Emeraude giggled, covering her mouth with both her hands: she and Velie had cheated on the count, so that the first it was Teijo, moreover the two of them knew very well that part of the garden and knew every single hidding place. The girl looked around, and when she was sure that the way was free, she walked stealthily toward the fountain: after a bit she stopped and took off her shoes, then she advance through the bushes: she just had to cross a path and another patch of bushes before reaching the fountain and make home run and chuckled thinking about Teijo's face when he would know that he had to be it again. Emeraude choked a cry, seeing two people on the path: they were Glaspac and Alfgang, her mother's half-brothers. They spoke with low voices, the first non-stop looking around as if he was afraid to be spied, while the second clutched the hilt of his sword spasmodically. They had the same features, but if Glaspac was fat - and his curves were accentuated by his priest-like long tunic - Alfgang was much more athletic and seemed taller than his brother thanks to his armour particular shape.  
>Something in Emeraude's head urged her to approach: she had to hear what her uncles were saying. <em>But it's not polite to eavesdrop<em>, she thought holding her breath: her father had always advised to follow her heart, and so Emeraude stepped forward.  
>"... Ah, I will make pay that bitch! Supra may be the Crown Prince's mother, but to want the regency ..."<br>"She is a mother who worries about her son, Glaspac, it's a common weakness among women. But if I were you, I would act in a more subtle and try to use this weakness to our advantage."  
>"What do you mean?" Glaspac muttered.<br>"Do you want to put a mute slave into her chambers? Go ahead. Do you want to accuse her of adultery and get rid of her? Perfect! But think about it and tell me if I'm wrong: wouldn't it be better to convince her to leave Cephiro with the excuse to avoid a scandal - what a blow to a son, to discover that his mother is no better than the lowest of the whores! - and then, during the trip ... "Alfgang ran his forefinger on his throat. "The way between Cephiro and Chizeta is filled with dangers."  
>The other clapped his hands, smiling, then added in a false sorrowful voice. "Queen Supra perished in an accident, leaving his son in the sole guidance of the Grand Counsellor Glaspac! And General Alfgang of course."<br>"I'll leave you all the credit, my beloved brother, you know that deep down all I want is ..." A glance silenced him.  
>Emeraude knew that Glaspac had felt her presence, and holding her breath and trying not to make any noise, she tried to go back in the bush. With a gesture unusually agile for his size, the Grand Counsellor rushed upon her, grabbing her by the arm and shoving in the wrong way on the path led. "What are you doing here, little past? Didn't your mother taught you to not eavesdrop?"<br>"Let me go, let me go! You're hurting me!" cried the girl, trying to free herself. "And I wasn't eavesdropping!"  
>"So weren't you, eh? So what were you doing hidden in the bushes?"<br>Using all her strength, Emeraude was able to free her arm, and answered matter of factly: "What a stupid question, Uncle Glaspac: I was playing hide and tag. And it'll be your fault if Prince Teijo finds me, I won't speak to you any more!"  
>Glaspac's face became red with anger: he raised his hand, but the other stopped him. "Brother, she is just a little girl ... a girl who knows that lies have a long nose: don't you, my little Emeraude?" Alfgang concluded, smiling.<br>She pursed her lips and stepped back involuntarily. She didn't like the way Alfgang was looking at her, as if he wanted to eat her, and she didn't know why, but his smile did not know why, but he seemed to have the same smile of the large stuffed shark displayed in her father's trophy room: a shark known to have devoured many fishermen and who was at last captured many years before her birth, and that still austina's mothers used as a bogeyman with children.  
>"Lies have short legs too, Uncle Alfgang," she squeacked.<br>The man raised an eyebrow. "A wise reply, my little Emeraude: you deserve a candy." An exchange of glances and Glaspac disappeared, leaving his brother alone with the girl.  
>Emeraude knew she was afraid, she knew she had to run away, she knew she had to find Chota, she had promised her father. And she had more and more the impression to be in front of the smiling stuffed shark, and that her father was a liar because some one who smiled in that way couldn't love children.<br>Alfgang bent over her and offered her his hand. "So you're playing hide and tag, don't you? You know, my little Emeraude, I know a secret place where, I am sure, Prince Teijo won't find you: come with me and I'll show you."  
>The girl stepped back again, trying to not to show her fear. <em>Chota<em>, she thought, _why aren't you here with me? Please, a grown-up..._

As if he had touched something scorching, Alfgang walked away from her, his right hand snapped instinctively to his sword: an animal that Emeraude had never seen, a kind of soft, white-haired rabbit with a red gem on its forehead had jumped between them and was bouncing around her.  
>"General, shouldn't you be in the mortuary chapel?" The Pillar's voice was stern, but a vein of fatigue betrayed her illness.<br>Alfgang bowed deeply to her. "Her Excellency knows that Queen Supra don't likes me and it seemed disrespectful ..."  
>"It's your late brother, to who you have to show respect."<br>Alfgang pursed his lips in what wanted to be a polite smile and with another deep bow, he went away: the Pillar followed him with her eyes and when he was far enough, her features relaxed a little. "Are you okay...?" But words died on her lips.  
>Emeraude looked at her tearfully, biting her lower lip. "I ... I ... I was so scared ..." she stammered at last, sniffling. "And Papa is a liar!"<br>Ginko smiled softly, kneeling in front of the girl and produced a handkerchief with a hand gesture. "Why is your father would be a liar?" he asked while blowing his nose.  
>"Because he told me that Uncle Alfgang likes children and it's not true, because if some one likes children, he don't look at you as if he wants to eat you in one bite."<br>The woman was silent at these words: she pursed lips, then adressed to the strange animal. "Mokona, could you give this child something to cheer her up, please?"  
>With a joyful "puuh!", the gem on Mokona's forehead flashed, and after a moment before Emeraude was a table loaded with cakes and a steaming cup: the little girl sobbed a little before taking the drink, then thanked the Pillar with a whisper and took a large gulp. Ginko smiled and encouraged her to have some cake as well, and sat on the chair Mokona had produced for her.<br>"Prince Fiero Prince didn't lie," Ginko began once Emeraude had calmed down, "he told you that General Alfgang likes children because it is a conventional way to describe what he does."  
>"And what do Uncle do?" asked the little girl, sitting on the pavement and holding Mokona.<br>Ginko hesitated a moment, looking for the right words to express the concept to a young girl. "He does with children what usually a mom and a dad do when they want a baby."  
>Emeraude's eyes and mouth widened, then said severely: "It's not good! Papa always tells me that those things are only for grown up. And if he founds out that someone did that, he'll sends him or her off on a small boat with a small piece of dry bread and a bottle of water, so there!"<br>"It is a crime punishable by imprisonment, in Autozam. Not here in Cephiro."  
>"But it's not fair!"<br>"I know, and until some time ago I would have been able to impose my decision to the Council, but then there wasn't this need: Cephiro's inhabitants didn't need a law or the Pillar to tell them what was right and what was wrong ".  
>The girl looked at the woman: Her Excellency Ginkgo seemed as old as her aunt Murciel, but Emeraude knew that the Pillar was much, much older. And quite sick. Every two or three years Ginko and her entourage went to Austina for a few weeks, as it seemed that the sea air and the county's inhabitants' love for her helped her to fight against his illness. "It's because you're sick that you cannot make uncle stop doing that, don't you?"<br>Ginko smiled at the childish naivete and intelligence. "True, because I have to pray for the welfare of Cephiro, and at the same time I have to fight against my illness: that's why, when I became the Pillar, I decided to choose a king who would have taken care of those kind of things."  
>"But won't it be better to first tell the illness to go away? Chota says that you cannot think about two things at the same time."<br>"Your Chota is right: you know, I could pray for my healing, but I would have to overlook Cephiro for who knows how long and that would be the first of many selfish desires. This world and its inhabitants are the most important thing for Pillar, he or she may decide to delegate some things to others, as I did, or take over his or her shoulders all Cephiro's weight and be sure that its people are happy and just, that the earth bears fruit in abundance and with little fatigue and that the purest water flows in rivers, there are no earthquakes nor storms, neither too many monsters to endanger the villages. Every time I heard that somewhere there is a monster, I am sad since I know it's my fault because I haven't prayed hard enough, and this happens every time I'm not feeling well. Just like when King Gallardo died: if I didn't had a high fever, those monsters wouldn't have come too close to the castle and your uncle wouldn't had to chase them away with the guards."  
>Emeraude pursed lips. "You have to pray very hard, so that we are all happy and there are no bad things, is that what you mean? Because if not, then it means that I didn't understand, even though Papa says I'm reaaally smart. "<br>Ginko smiled, ruffling her hair. "Well, that is the gist of the speech, do not worry. And now, back to play and, if I see the Prince of Fahren, I will tell him that I didn't see you," she ended with a conspiratorial look.  
>Emeraude smiled broadly smile and went into the bushes, then she turned and hugged the woman. "Thank you so much," she murmured, "and next time you come to Austina I'll let you play with my kite."<p> 


End file.
